Foldable cell phones will not necessarily be for the camera. Rather, the appeal lies in the ability to use the large display and fold the phone into a more compact size when finished using it. However, foldable or not, the camera is an important part of any phone, so there is naturally interest in what Samsung plans to do with its upcoming Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6 releases.

The answer is. It depends on which phone you are asking about.

The Galaxy Z Fold had a much improved camera with the release of the Galaxy Z Fold 4 two years ago. Therefore, any changes Samsung makes to the Galaxy Z Fold 6's camera are expected to be tweaks at best.

For the Galaxy Z Flip 6, the story is different. For years, Samsung has used the same camera module for its flip phone-style foldable. However, with increasing competition from companies like Motorola, the same old same old is no longer working.

Here is a summary of the major camera changes that Samsung is rumored to be making in this year's foldable phones, ahead of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and Galaxy Z Flip 6, which are expected to debut next month.

Early in the Galaxy Z Fold 6 rumor cycle, it became clear that Samsung was not planning any major changes to the more expensive foldable's camera. Last fall, a leaker named Revegnus claimed in a deleted post on X that Samsung would use the GN3 sensor from the Galaxy Z Fold 5 for the upcoming foldable. Another leaker, Ice Universe, confirmed that the Z Fold 6's camera setup is "the same as the Fold 4 and Fold 5."

Recent leaked specs only confirm this; SmartPrix posted what it claims to be the complete specs for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, showing a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultrawide camera, and a 10MP telephoto lens The company also showed a 50MP main camera, a 12MP ultra-wide camera and a 10MP telephoto lens. These are the exact same specs as the Galaxy Z Fold 5's external camera.

The Galaxy Z Fold 6's front-facing camera (rumored to have a 10MP external camera and 4MP internal selfie cam under the Z Fold's display) also matches the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

While the hardware may remain the same in the Galaxy Z Fold 6's camera setup, new features may be added on the video side; the same spec report that confirmed no changes to the Galaxy Z Fold 6's camera also showed 120 frames per second at 4K The Galaxy Z Fold 5 supports regular video recording at up to 8K, but slow motion video was best in FHD.

Now, this rumor won't mean that people will be lining up in the streets for the Galaxy Z Fold 6, but it does represent a change from the Galaxy Z Fold 5.

The Galaxy Z Fold 5 featured a separate camera bump, a raised area on the outside of the phone surrounding the three rear lenses; according to the Ice Universe article, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will take a different approach, eliminating the separate bump, The lens will be a camera array with the lens protruding just slightly from the back of the phone. In other words, the Galaxy Z Fold 6 will feature a stack of cameras protruding from the back, similar to that found on the back of the Galaxy S24. [It will also make the Galaxy Z Fold 6 less prone to wobble when placed on its back, which is a very important change if you plan to do a lot of work on the 7.6" internal display and want to avoid the phone bouncing around when you tap the screen.

However, Ice Universe has since posted a leaked image of the Galaxy Z Fold 6, which still shows a slight camera bump. So perhaps the change is more subtle than we might imagine.

For the real big changes regarding the camera in Samsung's foldable, we need to turn to the Galaxy Z Fold 6. Since the original Flip, Samsung has always included a pair of 12MP sensors responsible for the main camera and an ultrawide camera. That will apparently change with the Galaxy Z Flip 6.

Specifically, the new version of Samsung's flip phone is said to feature a 50MP main sensor. Documents filed with regulators confirm this, suggesting that the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will be able to take sharper and more detailed photos.

It's not just megapixels: the Galaxy Z Flip 5's rear camera has optical image stabilization, and the Galaxy Z Flip 6 is expected to add electronic image stabilization. This should allow for more stable photography, even at night.

It is worth noting that if the camera is upgraded, the Galaxy Z Flip 6 will have an advantage over the current Motorola Razr+. Even the mid-range Motorola Razr (2023) has more megapixels than the current Flip. It seems clear that Samsung is trying to fight the growing competition in the foldable phone field by tackling the weak point of the Galaxy Z Flip series, the flip phone's camera.

AI tools have been a major focus for Samsung this year, so much so that the Galaxy AI features introduced with the release of the Galaxy S24 have been brought to Samsung's current foldable phones through software updates.

Samsung is believed to be working on more Galaxy AI features, including some that may be related to the new Fold and Flip cameras. one potential Galaxy AI feature that appears to be aimed at the Galaxy Z Note 6 is the ability to draw on the display, possibly using the included The idea is to use generative AI to enhance the sketches you draw on the display using the included S Pen. In case you're keeping score at home, Apple's just-announced intelligence tool promises similar functionality in some iPhone and iPad Note apps.

If the updated Galaxy AI tools are going to use generative AI to enhance drawn images, it looks like the same approach could be applied to photos taken with the Galaxy Z Fold 6 camera. Existing Galaxy AI features allow users to edit images by resizing and moving objects.